Fears Insulin
"The thought of insulin scares me. Needles are painful."
- Fears Insulin

Barriers to insulin therapy often come from common fears and misperceptions.

You may want to have the insulin talk sooner

Give your patients the facts about insulin.





Fears of Insulin

Barriers to insulin therapy often come from common fears and misperceptions. Some ways to help address these issues are outlined below.

Disease getting worse
Inform patients that blood glucose may rise over time.

  • Inform patients that blood glucose may rise over time
  • Reassure patients that it may not be entirely their fault. The increasing inability of the pancreas to produce enough insulin may be the main reason for disease progression3

Hypoglycemia
Some people are concerned about side effects, such as hypoglycemia.

  • Acknowledge that hypoglycemia is the most common side effect of insulin2
  • Advise patients taking insulin to regularly check their blood glucose
  • Teach patients how to recognize and treat hypoglycemia, should an episode occur
  • Inform patients of the common things that can affect their blood glucose levels, such as medications, changes in food intake, illness, physical activity and stress

It's forever
Many patients have concerns about chronic use of insulin.

  • Assure patients that insulin is not physically addictive or habit-forming
  • Inform patients that you may adjust their insulin doses upwards or downwards over the course of their treatment to assure they are on the proper dose

Failure
Reframe the perception of failure and self-blame.

  • Educate patients that insulin helps to replace what the body isn't adequately making to lower blood glucose
  • Remind your patients that insulin may be an appropriate choice for them since it is effective at lowering A1C when added to an overall treatment plan
  • Educate patients about what they can do by making healthy food choices and increasing their physical activity

Lifestyle change
Many patients believe that taking insulin will greatly disrupt their lives.

  • Inform patients that insulin may help control blood glucose and lower A1C1
  • Present insulin as another effective option to add to their daily diabetes management routine
  • Patients may find that insulin can become a normal part of their routine

Pain
If fear of pain is deterring your patient from taking insulin, consider the following:

  • Insulin is injected in the fatty layer just under the skin where there are fewer nerve endings and injections generally cause little discomfort
  • Tell patients that many people on insulin are surprised by how soon they get used to the injections
Next >

Important Safety Information for Lantus®

Contraindications

Lantus® is contraindicated in patients hypersensitive to insulin glargine or one of its excipients.

Warnings and precautions

Monitor blood glucose in all patients treated with insulin. Insulin regimens should be modified cautiously and only under medical supervision. Changes in insulin strength, manufacturer, type, or method of administration may result in the need for a change in insulin dose or an adjustment in concomitant oral antidiabetic treatment.

Do not dilute or mix Lantus® with any other insulin or solution. If mixed or diluted, the solution may become cloudy, and the onset of action/time to peak effect may be altered in an unpredictable manner. Do not administer Lantus® via an insulin pump or intravenously because severe hypoglycemia can occur. Insulin devices and needles must not be shared between patients.

Hypoglycemia is the most common adverse reaction of insulin therapy, including Lantus®, and may be life-threatening.

Severe life-threatening, generalized allergy, including anaphylaxis, can occur.

A reduction in the Lantus® dose may be required in patients with renal or hepatic impairment.

Drug interactions

Certain drugs may affect glucose metabolism, requiring insulin dose adjustment and close monitoring of blood glucose. The signs of hypoglycemia may be reduced in patients taking anti-adrenergic drugs (e.g., beta-blockers, clonidine, guanethidine, and reserpine).

Adverse reactions

Other adverse reactions commonly associated with Lantus® are injection site reaction, lipodystrophy, pruritus, and rash.

Important Safety Information for Lantus® SoloSTAR®

Lantus® SoloSTAR® is a disposable prefilled insulin pen. To help ensure an accurate dose each time, patients should follow all steps in the Instruction Leaflet accompanying the pen; otherwise they may not get the correct amount of insulin, which may affect their blood glucose.

Indications and Usage for Lantus®

Lantus® is a long-acting insulin analog indicated to improve glycemic control in adults and children (6 years and older) with type 1 diabetes mellitus and in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Lantus® should be administered once a day at the same time every day.

Important Limitations of Use: Lantus® is not recommended for the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis. Use intravenous short-acting insulin instead.

Please click here for full prescribing information

References: 1. Nathan DM et al. Diabetes Care. 2009;32(1):193-203.
2. Nathan DM. N Engl J Med. 2002;347(17):1342-1349.
3. Polonsky WH, Jackson RA. Clin Diabetes. 2004;22(3):147-150.